School of Historical Studies/The Islamic World (Institute for Advanced Studies)

The Institute for Advanced Study is one of the world’s leading centers for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. The Institute exists to encourage and support fundamental research in the sciences and humanities – the original, often speculative, thinking that produces advances in knowledge that change the way we understand the world. It provides for the mentoring of scholars by Faculty, and it offers all who work there the freedom to undertake research that will make significant contributions in any of the broad range of fields in the sciences and humanities studied at the Institute.

The Institute is a private, independent academic institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. It was founded in 1930 by philanthropists Louis Bamberger and his sister Caroline Bamberger Fuld, and established through the vision of founding Director Abraham Flexner. Past Faculty have included Albert Einstein, who remained at the Institute until his death in 1955, and distinguished scientists and scholars such as Kurt Gödel, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Erwin Panofsky, Homer A. Thompson, John von Neumann, George Kennan and Hermann Weyl.

Work at the Institute takes place in four Schools : Historical Studies, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Science. Currently, a permanent Faculty of twenty-eight eminent academics guides the work of the Schools and each year awards fellowships to some 190 visiting Members, from about one hundred universities and research institutions throughout the world. Dr. Peter Goddard is the current Director of the Institute.